Mary Anne here. This salad is an incredible marriage of sweet and savory; one that my East Hampton clients have consistently requested over the years. The sweet potatoes have the added bonus of being not only lo-cal, but loaded with Beta-Carotene which we all know is very good for us! It’s best served at room temperature and I think it’s a great alternative to a traditional side of coleslaw when serving ribs. A thick slab of my Pecan-Studded Cornbread would really round out this summer-time meal.

Sweet Potato and Red Onion Salad
Serves 8
Note: Leftovers are great on a sandwich, believe it or not. I use 1 or 2 slices, cut in half and make sure that I have some of the onion in the mix as well. I like whole grain breads and slather each side with some mayo and honey mustard, followed by lettuce, the sweet potato salad and sliced avocado. It might sound crazy, but it is absolutely delicious. Try it and don’t be surprised if you find yourself making the salad just for the leftovers!
Ingredients for the Salad:
4 or 5 sweet potatoes (about 4 lbs.) peeled and sliced into 1 inch rounds – $6.42
2 Bermuda Onions, cut in half and sliced very thinly – $2.11
3 Tablespoons olive oil – stock
3 cloves minced garlic – stock
½ cup cilantro, chopped fine – $0.49
Ingredients for the Dressing:
10 slices turkey bacon, fried crisp and then crumbled – $1.49
1/3 cup cider vinegar – stock
2/3 cup olive oil – stock
2 Tablespoons honey – stock
1 Tablespoon Dijon-style mustard – stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste – stock
Grand Total Assuming Well-Stocked Pantry: $10.51
Per Serving: $1.31
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt. Immerse the sliced sweet potatoes and cook 10 to 12 minutes until fork tender. Be careful not to overcook or they’ll fall apart. Transfer to a colander and immediately refresh under running cold water.
2. Meanwhile, as the potatoes are cooking whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.
3. In the same pot that you used for either the bacon or the potatoes, heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high flame. Sauté the onion slices for 8 minutes. Add the garlic and continue sautéing an additional 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the salad dressing.
5. Fold in the sweet potatoes, combining thoroughly. **If you are preparing ahead of time, cover and refrigerate.
6. When ready to serve, br ing the salad back to room temperature and sprinkle with cilantro.